The biggest E&P companies, the most important figures of the industry, wonderful events, marvelous people, interesting sessions, important business and beautiful places – these words can shortly describe what has happened in Moscow from 15th to 19th June 2014.

World Petroleum Congress is always a great feast of knowledge, business and discussions about actual situation and the most important challenges of the petroleum industry. This year it was organized in Moscow, the capital city of Russia.

For the five days all the participants could take part in various panels, sessions and discussions, divided into parts and thematic blocks. Some of them referred to international problems, some to regional matters, we could also find panels concerning situation of one country. Sometimes it was very hard to decide which event to choose. Apart from panel sessions, simultaneously on the exhibit floor everybody could visit stands of over 400 companies.

The event was very important also for students and young professionals. On the exhibit floor organizers prepared Youth Lounge – special space for the youngest participants. This place was full of events for them – presentations, discussions, information about events being organized by Youth Council, magazines and journals, computers and places for taking rest – all these made our participation more important and we could really feel that we are a part of the event. But apart from this, young people of the petroleum industry could become volunteers – and participate in organizing the Congress. We had a priceless chance to experience the Congress from the inside and to cooperate with other students from all over the world, which was a great experience.

But the events like World Petroleum Congress are also a cultural event. Russian organizers made their best to present all the participants the best side of Russia, its history and its culture. All the evening events, beginning with the Opening Ceremony in the Kremlin Palace, through the Russian Night in the Muzeon Gorky Park to the Moscow Fairytale Night in Izmailovo Kremlin, were perfectly prepared and were a huge portion of Russian hospitality and a source of great fun and joy.

For sure nobody attending 21st WPC in Moscow will never forget the event. The next edition of WPC will be organized in Istanbul, Turkey in 2017. See you there!

If you want to know more about WPC in Moscow, wait for YoungPetro autumn issue – you will find full relation there!

New article from Fair Recruitment – written by professional Recruitment Consultant – Pawel Wodka

Choosing your career path is one of the hardest decisions faced by after finishing studies. For graduates of oil & gas exploration and production related faculties the main choice is whether to work in the field (on the rig), or in the office?

As usual in such situations each choice has its own pros and cons creating both opportunities as well as barriers in future career. One of the most important, if not the most important rule while considering the start of professional life is to do what you like and you’re good at. Following that advice, you are increasing your chances for achieving success, further advance and personal development.

Field work in oil and gas usually means rig, therefore I would like to point out usual requirements for people who are looking for rig jobs:

– Ability to handle stressful situation and think quickly.

– Stamina and flexibility to work outdoors in any weather conditions.

– Very good communication skills

– Ability to explain things clearly to others

– Ability to take direction and show initiative.

– HSE awareness

– Tolerance for travelling to and remaining in isolated locations for extended periods of time.

-Willing to travel on boats, helicopters and other wilderness transportation.

Working on the rig usually means rotation. Rigs are located in the same places, where resources, hence there is quite a good chance of getting into remote location, distant from what we call civilization and very possibly with harsh weather conditions. It is to some extent adventurous characteristic however, confusing. Working on the rig means everyday routine described by shifts and enforced by HSE rules. Unlike some TV documentaries show, rig work can be boring. But still you should expect the unexpected as the working environment is by definition hazardous one. So rather than adventure seekers, companies are looking for mature, responsible people with strong character and safety awareness.

Although higher education is not necessary for such work, due to international character of rig personnel, good communication skills are a must. That means good knowledge of English but also an ability to talk to and get along with people of different origins with different characters, which is even more important because, you will spend some time with these people.

If all written above applies to you, then you should follow this path. Mainly because higher educated candidates with addition of hard work are very likely to advance within the company or within the industry. Another advantage comes from the fact, that having strong field work background should make you an interesting candidate for operators, contractors or service companies. Even in case of sales related jobs (sales of services, tools, etc.) previous rig experience is a plus.

One of the most important advantages of such work are salaries, which are among the highest within the industry. Even entry level positions are paid over the average, especially compared to non oil and gas industry.

Although, the work itself is a routine, especially young employees see it as possibility to travel to distant areas, which normally would not be seen, meeting interesting people or for some, even a test of their abilities. But as I mentioned above, at work, maturity and responsibility are highest regarded characteristics and even testing yourself in harsh environment should be done in accordance to safety rules.

Last but not least, many young employees like the rotations. Mainly because number of days off, gives the opportunity to realize their plans related to private life.

Now, let us sit in the office, where following characteristics are required:

– Usually good knowledge of maths / physics / science.

– Understanding of engineering principles.

– Ability to understand and present scientific data.

– Ability to explain things clearly to others both verbally and in writing.

– Having an inquiring and analytical mind.

– Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.

– Focus on detail.

– Ability to solve complex scientific problems.

– Ability to work with sophisticated computer programs for data analysis.

First what comes to mind while thinking about office work is stability. Usually, after going through trial period you would be offered permanent employment. In many cases, that also means working in the same place, most probably in a big city, where offices are located. In case of office jobs, higher, industry related education is currently a must. That means, that majority of your colleagues will have similar background.

One of the main characteristics of such jobs is constant development of professional skills, which is reflected in large number of different trainings and courses. Due to high cost of specialist trainings, office workers should see it as one of the most important benefits, which should compensate lower than rig salaries. However, these still are attractive in relation to other industries and are supported by different benefits.

Office work does not bring excitement similar to field work but can also be challenging, especially in case of science oriented projects. Nevertheless, the main advantage is the stability, which allows you to think about starting your own family without fear of long absence periods.

Coming back to reality, we know that due to limited number of job offers for graduates you may be forced to take the offer that is on the table at specific moment. But even facing such situation, you should remember to take a while to think about the offer. Sometimes wrong choice may break your career in the beginnig, so it is useful to consider your priorities ie. stability vs. better salaries, regular working hours vs. shifts and rotation. Even physical fitness can be an issue. It is possible, that passing on one offer may give you a chance to find job, where you will have opportunity to develop yourself into highly regarded professional. Especially now, when almost all surveys show a huge gap in oil and gas workforce both field and office based. This situation should open doors for successful career, which I wish for all of you.

Also, at this time of the year, I would like to wish you all the best during your exams and searching for dream job. But most of all, have a great holidays!

In 1885 the first oil discovery in Indonesia (when it was still the Dutch east Indies) made this country one of the most important oil producers in South East Asia. In 1962 it entered OPEC with great prospects for the future. However, in 2009, on account of considerable declines in production, it became one of only two countries to ever withdraw from the oil cartel.

Although this country is now known as coal, gas, coal-bed methane or biofuel producer and is turning to shale gas potential resources, there are still operations conducted in order to find oil and gas reservoirs. Premier Oil acquired its first operated acreage in Indonesia in 1996, it was called Natuna Sea Gas Project.

In April 2014 Premier Oil informed us about its newest discovery: 183ft of net oil-bearing reservoir and 327ft of net gas-bearing reservoir have been found in Tuna PSC offshore Indonesia. It is the area located on the east of Natuna Sea Gas Project, in the Natuna Sea, north of Indonesia.

The Kuda Laut-1 well has been drilled through Miocene sands within a four-way dip closure. Gas samples have been recovered and its gradients measured. The well is to be side-tracked to Singa Laut in order to drill an adjoining three-way dip closed structure with sandstone reservoirs in both the lower Miocene and Oligocene sections. It is estimated that by 2015 appraisal drilling to further assess the combined Singa Laut and Kuda Laut oil and gas resources will have been completed.

Andrew Lodge, Premier Oil exploration director, said: “Discovering oil at Kuda Laut is of particular significance and we now look forward to the results of Singa Laut”.

“The main theme of the Third International ShaleScience Conference were the methods of completing shale deposits of natural gas in the Polish geological environment. For the first time, the discussions and conclusions were based on the so-far unpublished results of exploration work.

During the two days, eminent Polish and foreign experts in geology, geophysics, and petroleum engineering discussed the methods of releasing natural gas from shale rock. The results of well tests carried out so far show that the Polish geological conditions are unique, diversified, and different from the well-explored deposits in the US or Canada. Consequently, the technologies used in North America cannot be directly applied to Polish deposits. The experts concurred that it is currently necessary to focus on developing methods of releasing petroleum and gas that will be effective in Polish shales.

Paweł Poprawa (Energy Studies Institute) pointed out the historical differences in the process of emergence of the different unconventional deposits in the world. It is his opinion that the Polish well test results should only be treated as the beginning of the development of the science behind the exploration of Polish deposits. The participants concurred that the few well tests carried out in Poland are not representative enough for a reliable appraisal of the deposits.

Richard Lewis (Schlumberger, one of the largest companies providing services for the oil sector) believes that the results of the work carried out by ORLEN Upstream in the Lubelskie area have confirmed that the main difference between the Polish shales and their American counterparts is their lower Total Organic Content (TOC) value. Nevertheless, production from deposits with these parameters can be economically feasible, as evidenced by examples from the US. In his opinion, Polish shales also have advantages. The example of the Berejów well shows that the shale layer is uncommonly thick, which “coupled with their moderate quality parameters makes them an interesting challenge as far as finding methods of their completion is concerned.”

The participants emphasised the progress made in Poland over the last three years with respect to the science behind unconventional deposits. “I was impressed by the results of the treatments done by ORLEN Upstream. You did it well. Perhaps the details need some ironing out, but it’s clear you understand the local conditions well,” summarised Prof. John McLennan (Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Utah).

“This year’s ShaleScience conference was unique in that we no longer talked about probable assumptions, but about facts and a realistic picture of the Polish deposits. Having shared experiences and listened to unbiased opinions, we are convinced that we need to focus on the optimisation of the hydraulic fracturing methods, taking into account the geological obstacles we know of,” said Wiesław Prugar, the President of the Board at ORLEN Upstream.

A sizeable part of the second day of the conference was devoted to the environmental challenges related to hydraulic fracturing operations. Since the public debate about the environmental impact of fracturing is full of misconceptions, it was deemed necessary to provide scientific information about issues related to water resources, atmospheric emissions, acoustic climate, and waste management. Particular attention was paid to managing the waste related to fracturing, including the disposal of flowback water. The experts emphasised that, in spite of a number of challenges, the waste management process is always carried out in strict compliance with the highest safety standards, providing an airtight system of waste collection and processing and, consequently, minimising the impact of waste management on the environment.

The 3rd ShaleScience Conference was organised by ORLEN Upstream, and its partners included the leading Polish and international research institutions: the AGH University of Technology, Krakow, the Oil and Gas Institute – National Research Institute, and the US Energy and Geoscience Institute – University of Utah. The Ministry of the Environment was the honorary patron of the conference.”

The Iran Oil & Gas 2014 Summit, taking place on 23rd-25th June at the 5* Conrad Hotel in Dubai, and organised by London leading business intelligence International Research Networks, will address key issues within the Iranian oil and gas sector. London, UK (PRWEB UK) 14 May 2014 — Iran Oil & Gas 2014 Summit to evaluate the country’s E&P and Downstream developments Iran’s Deputy Oil Minister, Mr. Ali Majedi, recently stated that the Iranian Republic will start to export natural gas to Europe very soon. Three different pipelines are expected to be used crossing Turkey; Iraq, Syria and Lebanon; and Armenia, Georgia and the Black Sea. Mr. Majedi stressed these new routes will permit Iran to increase its gas supply to Europe.

The Iran Oil & Gas 2014 Summit, taking place on 23rd-25th June at the 5* Conrad Hotel in Dubai, will address this and many other key issues within the Iranian oil and gas sector to provide the high level delegation with sound knowledge around oil and gas developments in the country, renowned for possessing the world’s fourth largest proven oil reserves. In addition to an overview of the downstream sector, the Speaking Committee will focus on current new ventures, economic, operational and regulatory aspects, as well as investment opportunities in Iran. The third day will be dedicated to workshops to shed light on the regulatory environment specifically and the fiscal regime around energy activities in Iran. The high level Summit will feature distinguished speakers and representatives from the Iranian Government, the NIOC and its subsidiaries, oil and gas companies experienced in the region, geologists, economists, consultants and key international service providers, including:
• Mansour Daftarian, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Iranian Gas Institute
• Gholamreza Dashty, Chief Geologist, Iranian Gas Institute
• Mohammad Mokhtari (PhD in expl. Geophysics), Faculty Member, International Institute of Earthquake
Engineering and Seismology
• Fardin Pourvajdi, CEO, Tehran Energy Consultants, Iran
• Ali Amidi, CEO, MAT Group Ltd., Iran
• Dr. Alireza Bashari, Chairman of the Board Directors, ISPG (Iranian Society of Petroleum Geology),
Iran
• Abdollah Esmaeili, Senior Petroleum Engineer, National Iranian Oil Company (N.I.O.C)
• Maryam Dehghani, Petroleum Engineer, National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC)
• Jorge Baldi, General Manager Middle East, Repsol, UAE
• Dr. Mahmoud Reza Delavar – Assoc. Prof. , Director of GIS WG, Center of Excellence in Geomatic
Engineering in Disaster Management, Department of Surveying and Geomatic Engineering, College of
Engineering, University of Tehran
• Dr. Vali Ahmad Sajjadian, President, Iranian Society of Petroleum Engineering ISPE
• Carole Nakhle, Economist specialising in legislation, University of Surrey, UK / Lebanon
• David Ramin Jalilvand, Researcher, Berlin Centre for Caspian Region Studies, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
• Rabia Hunky, Senior Reservoir Engineer, Production & Reserve Development Department, National Oil
Corporation Libya, Libya
• Bernard Hourcade, Senior Research Fellow emeritus CNRS Paris (Centre National de la Recherche
Scientifique), France
• Steve Martin, Managing Director, Veritas Academy
For more information about the Summit, please visit the website www.iransummit.com or contact Lola Bourget
at LolaB(at)irn-international(dot)com.

There is a growing demand for oil rig workers in offshore oil platforms, as a new work on new reserves is booming. Living away from home for weeks, long shifts, extreme isolation, open ocean, stressful environment make it quite demanding job. However, oil workers tend to get attractive wages and benefits. Every applicant for an oil rig worker wonders how it is like to live in such environment. So what is life on an oil rig really like? What does a day in the life of an oil rig worker entail?

It is important to mention that conditions vary according to different posts. Drilling or construction employees work outdoors while for example geologists do their tasks in offices, inside oil rig platform. This is the reason that it is impossible to generalize what a day on the rig looks, but let’s look at the average working conditions and what life is generally like.

1. Accommodation

Accommodation can vary from one rig to another and from one company to another, but accommodation can be anything from single rooms with suite facilities to a cabin shared by shift workers. Nevertheless, living conditions on oil rigs have improved considerably and nowadays many offshore installations meet hotel standards. While on board, you can spend your free time in a wide variety of amenities and amusements such as modern satellite TV, updates selection of videos, gym, sauna, video games, connection to Internet. This is not the norm, but many companies offer this kind of activities for oil workers to avoid stress and ensure the quality of work.

2. Schedule

Schedules and shifts are another important subject. They can vary between companies and positions. A very common types of schedule consists in 14 days on, followed by 21 days off or working for 1, 2 weeks or even a moth and leaving for the same period. Sometimes, depending of the service, you will have to work until the job is finished. Timetables are between 80-100 hours per week, typically work shifts tend to last 12 hours. They can begin at any time depending on the particular schedule on the rig. This means working for a long shift, followed by 12 hours of rest.

3. Salary

Salaries – like on land – are established depending on position, experience, education. Also, those who arrived for shorter period of time earn less than workers employed on a permanent positions. Of course, the salary is calculated only on working-days. The range of salaries is from 150 euros / day for up to 400 euros / day and more. It should be noted that the higher the risk associated with the job is, the higher the salaries are. Moreover, food and accommodation is fully paid for while you’re working, and any transport to the rig is also arranged.

4. Isolation

Needless to say that work on the rig is not for everyone. The job drives some people crazy, a lot of people have trouble with getting used to open ocean and sometimes claustrophobic conditions. You have to consider that you can’t go anywhere. Space is an issue on an offshore rig, which is basically a camp that is propped up on ramps in the sea, so life on the rig can be quite claustrophobic. Workers compare it to having a second family. The isolation, the intensity of working so many hours straight and the danger breed closeness uncommon in most jobs. There are movie nights and video game tournaments. There’s even a nurse who get their cholesterol and blood pressure tested.

In conclusion, life on an oil rig can get monotonous, but is mitigated by fairly long breaks that allow you to recover, attractive salaries and additional bonuses and benefits.